ALARM Synonyms: 238 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'alarm' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of alarm are dread , fear , fright , panic , terror , and trepidation . While all these words mean "painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger," alarm suggests a sudden and intense awareness of immediate danger. // view the situation with alarm

Q: When is 'dread' a more appropriate choice than 'alarm'?

The words dread and alarm can be used in similar contexts, but dread usually adds the idea of intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety. // faced the meeting with dread

Q: When can 'fear' be used instead of 'alarm'?

While the synonyms fear and alarm are close in meaning, fear is the most general term and implies anxiety and usually loss of courage. // fear of the unknown

Q: When might 'fright' be a better fit than 'alarm'?

The synonyms fright and alarm are sometimes interchangeable, but fright implies the shock of sudden, startling fear. // fright at being awakened suddenly

Q: Where would 'panic' be a reasonable alternative to 'alarm'?

In some situations, the words panic and alarm are roughly equivalent. However, panic implies unreasoning and overmastering fear causing hysterical activity. // the news caused widespread panic

Q: When would 'terror' be a good substitute for 'alarm'?

The meanings of terror and alarm largely overlap; however, terror implies the most extreme degree of fear. // immobilized with terror

Q: How do 'trepidation' and 'dread' relate to one another, in the sense of 'alarm'?

Trepidation adds to dread the implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation. // raised the subject with trepidation

alarm 1 of 2

noun

ə-ˈlärm

variants also alarum

Definition of alarm

as in dread

suspicion or fear of future harm or misfortune observed with alarm the man staggering toward the edge of the cliff

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in warning

the act or an instance of telling beforehand of danger or risk in a daring midnight ride Paul Revere gave the alarm that British troops were approaching

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in fear

the emotion experienced in the presence or threat of danger filled with alarm when the flood waters reached their front steps

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

alarm

2 of 2

verb

variants also alarum

as in to scare

to strike with fear I don't want to alarm you, but I think you should know there's a bear on your back porch

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to concern

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy alarmed at the skyrocketing cost of home heating fuel

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word alarm distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of alarm are dread, fear, fright, panic, terror, and trepidation. While all these words mean "painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger," alarm suggests a sudden and intense awareness of immediate danger.

view the situation with alarm

When is dread a more appropriate choice than alarm?

The words dread and alarm can be used in similar contexts, but dread usually adds the idea of intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety.

faced the meeting with dread

When can fear be used instead of alarm?

While the synonyms fear and alarm are close in meaning, fear is the most general term and implies anxiety and usually loss of courage.

fear of the unknown

When might fright be a better fit than alarm?

The synonyms fright and alarm are sometimes interchangeable, but fright implies the shock of sudden, startling fear.

fright at being awakened suddenly

Where would panic be a reasonable alternative to alarm?

In some situations, the words panic and alarm are roughly equivalent. However, panic implies unreasoning and overmastering fear causing hysterical activity.

the news caused widespread panic

When would terror be a good substitute for alarm?

The meanings of terror and alarm largely overlap; however, terror implies the most extreme degree of fear.

immobilized with terror

How do trepidation and dread relate to one another, in the sense of alarm?

Trepidation adds to dread the implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation.

raised the subject with trepidation

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of alarm

Noun

The director’s method for ringing that alarm will surely draw debate. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026 Head into the remainder of the year with travel essentials that offer a little extra peace of mind, including luggage locks, portable travel safes, and personal alarms that can help deter pickpockets. — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2026

Verb

Women who during pregnancy used the medicine, typically sold generically as paracetamol in Europe, should not be alarmed by the findings, Fischer said. — Nancy Lapid, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026 Rescuers were alarmed by the signs of prolonged neglect on her small body, but most of all by the hundreds of ticks that had attached themselves to her ears. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for alarm

Recent Examples of Synonyms for alarm

Noun

The mood would be a mix of confidence, desperation and nagging dread.

— Austin Meek, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Instead, Sega and Creative Assembly have bet on pure atmosphere, dread that runs deeper thanks to more detailed graphics and audio, and of course, letting everyone know the Xenomorph's dynamic AI has evolved too.

— Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of dread

Noun

Residents and visitors have been urged to closely monitor the weather and the watches or warnings as Lowell approaches the islands, the hurricane center said.

— Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2026
The officer lets her off with a warning, and then everyone goes to bed.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of warning

Noun

Experts say cartels use car bombs to intimidate rivals and authorities, pressure the government and spread fear among civilians.

— María Verza, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
At each turn, a heartbreaking picture comes into sharper focus, underscoring Ricki’s destructive appetite that exploits Rita’s deepest needs and fears under the guise of friendship and no-judgement sisterhood.

— Tomris Laffly, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of fear

Verb

After monitoring the situation, park managers found the bear unusually difficult to scare away and said its escalating proximity to humans posed a safety risk that was deemed unacceptable, according to the national park.

— Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
Garner said HeeHaw charged toward the officers and continued approaching after a Polk County K-9 handler activated the electrical arc on a Taser in an attempt to scare him away.

— Christopher Harris, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of scare

Verb

While experts recognize the immense scientific potential of the findings, some warn that the ability to create hybrid mouse-human cortical brain cells could bring us closer than ever to a concerning ethical boundary.

— Mike McRae September 17, New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2026
Aero Plantation’s roads are privately owned and maintained by the neighborhood, a distinction residents cited in explaining why outside traffic concerns them.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of concern

Noun

For Villa, there were mitigating circumstances in this latest defeat by Glasner, yet the worry is they are still being caught with the same punches.

— Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Similar economic stressors like finding a new job if they get laid off, employer reductions of healthcare or retirement benefits, or simply not advancing in their career at pace significantly outrank worries about the impact of AI.

— Stacey Zolt Hara, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of worry

Verb

Last Friday, the artist Pink published a lengthy criticism of Macklemore’s on-stage polemic, writing that his comments and use of violent wartime imagery had frightened many Jewish people, including her.

— Caitlin Dewey, Vox, 16 Sep. 2026
However, Stone told Bialik that she was not frightened by the encounter.

— Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of frighten

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“Alarm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alarm. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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